This afternoon's hockey notes include several stories of players around the league either going on injured reserve, or getting activated to play. As far as the Predators are concerned, the direct impact here is that two division rivals (who the Preds face in the next two weeks) are welcoming back Top 6 forwards...
NHL sale gives 20% off kids and womens apparel this weekend | Hockey Gear HQ
The NHL's online store has a special weekend sale for Christmas shoppers, offering 20% off kids & women's gear of all kinds.
Nashville Predators News
Preds On The Glass: Expect The Unexpected in This Year's NHL
Down is up... up is down... dogs & cats living together...
Smashville 24/7: Smashville On The Glass - Preds return home
Buddy & Ryan welcome in Jeremy of Section 303 and Robby of Hockey Night in Nashville to chat about the Preds.
A Tale of Two Teams: It’s the Little Things that Matter… | The Predatorial
Between the really good, the really bad, and the in-between, the Preds maintain a spot right in the middle of the pack.
NHL Power Rankings: Detroit Red Wings Push Back To The Top Of The West - SBNation.com
The Preds took a pretty hard fall in the latest SBN rankings.
The Hippodrome: 2 December 2011 - Nashville Scene
J.R. provides a nice summary of the Phil Williams imbroglio as part of his weekly spin around the Nashville sporting world. As I've said before, the question of the city's financial relationship with the team is important and worthy of debate, but that kind of scandal-seeking investigative reporting doesn't help inform the public. The best article I've seen on the subject so far ran a couple weeks ago in The Tennessean.
Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey
The NHL's Three Stars of Comedy - The Triangle Blog
The Honey Badger gets an Honorable Mention here.
Ruff-Haters.. Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace (For Now) - Die By The Blade
The only head coach with a longer tenure than Barry Trotz has his local critics, too.
Flames' Mark Giordano out 'indefinitely' after hamstring injury - Calgary Herald
Remember when Giordano left the Preds/Flames game the other night? "Partially ruptured tendons" will keep him on the shelf for a while.
Kristian Huselius Moved Off Of IR - The Cannon
Columbus has been missing this key winger all season long.
After 97 games, David Perron returns for St. Louis on Saturday - Puck Daddy
The St. Louis Blues are about to get a big boost to their lineup.
Reimer cleared to play - The Globe and Mail
James Reimer will be under tremendous pressure to stabilize Toronto's goaltending.
Cory Sarich Wants Out - Matchsticks and Gasoline
With defensemen passing through waivers almost every day, it's going to be hard for Calgary to find a take for Sarich's $3.3 million salary.
Matt Walker clears re-entry waivers - Broad Street Hockey
Fans in Philly let out a collective sigh that nobody else stuck the Flyers with half Walker's salary for this season and next.
Beyond the Numbers: Is the Krejci Deal a Smart One for the Bruins? - Stanley Cup of Chowder
3 years and more than $17 million - was it too much for Boston to responsibly pay?
Hot hockey women of Vancouver turn the calendar for charity - Vancouver Sun
Feel free to engage in hockey-related puns galore... (found via Puck Daddy).
Puck Daddy chats with Alex Ovechkin about role in Boudreau firing, Dale Hunter’s system and rivalry with Sidney Crosby - Puck Daddy
Ovi plays dumb on the whole "did you get Boudreau fired" question.
The Washington Capitals Focus on Defense is Killing Them - Backhand Shelf
Bingo! Teams seem to overreact to what happens in the playoffs all the time.
By the Numbers: The Importance of Kyle Wellwood - Arctic Ice Hockey
Is Wellwood's $700,000 contract the bargain of the year for the Winnipeg Jets?
On Anti-Bullying, and How Brian Burke’s Son Helped Mend His Relationship With Kevin Lowe - Backhand Shelf
Brian Burke, living large and in charge.
How Microchipped Jerseys Are Changing Hockey Fans' Experience - Mashable
Cutting-edge stuff at work in Tampa, where Lightning season ticket holders have chips embedded in their jerseys which, when scanned, give them discounts at concessions and merchandise stands.